Standerton Chronicle

19/03/2026

16/03/2026

It is with deep sadness that we inform the community that Alida Lake has passed away on 14 March 2026.

The memorial service will take place on 19 March 2026 at 11:00 at Replika / Standerton Teatro, 52 Coligny Street, Standerton.

Family, friends, readers, and members of the community are warmly invited to attend as we celebrate her life and the impact she had on so many through her work and her heart for the community.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed on the Standerton Chronicle page.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community for the love, prayers, and support during this difficult time.

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Dit is met groot hartseer dat ons die gemeenskap in kennis stel dat Alida Lake op 14 Maart 2026 oorlede is.

Die gedenkdiens sal plaasvind op 19 Maart 2026 om 11:00 by Replika / Standerton Teatro, Colignystraat 52, Standerton.

Familie, vriende, lesers en lede van die gemeenskap word hartlik uitgenooi om saam met ons haar lewe te vier en hulde te bring aan die verskil wat sy in soveel mense se lewens gemaak het.

Vir diegene wat nie die diens persoonlik kan bywoon nie, sal dit regstreeks uitgesaai word op die Standerton Chronicle se Facebook-blad.

Ons wil ook ons opregte dank uitspreek aan die gemeenskap vir die liefde, gebede en ondersteuning gedurende hierdie moeilike tyd.

12/03/2026

Dear Readers,

We would like to give a small update regarding my mom. She is still in the ICU and remains under close medical care. It is a very difficult time for our family, but we are grateful for the doctors and nurses who are doing everything they can for her.

We truly appreciate all the prayers, messages, and support that have been sent during this time. It means more to us than words can express.

We will share further updates when we can. Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.

Kind regards,
The Family

05/03/2026

Dear Readers,

We would like to take a moment to update you on behalf of our beloved mom, who many of you know through her dedication to this newspaper.

At the moment, she is in the ICU and receiving the medical care she needs. This is a very difficult and uncertain time for our family, and we are focusing all our energy on supporting her and being by her side.

She has always poured her heart into this newspaper and the community around it, and we know how much her readers mean to her. We kindly ask that you keep her in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

We truly appreciate your patience, understanding, and the support that so many of you have already shown. It means more to our family than words can express.

We will share updates when we are able to. Thank you for standing with us.

With gratitude,
Her Family.

27/02/2026

The Standerton Chronicle Issue 282 (27 February 2026) is HOT off the press and packed with everything our community needs right now! 🔥📢

🌊 Big alert on the water crisis – Pressure is mounting in Lekwa as extended water cuts hit hard due to the treatment plant shutdown, pump failures, and ongoing repairs. Residents in affected wards are facing days without supply (sometimes 3-4 days a week), with only limited restoration when things stabilize. Councillor calls for transparency are loud, and the community is urged to store water, use sparingly, and stay updated via official channels. Hang in there, Standerton & Sakhile – we're tougher than this! 💪

🏆Science stars shining bright – Huge shoutout to Nyandeni Primary School learners who smashed it at the National Science Olympiad! Gold, silver, and bronze medals – proof that our kids are future innovators and problem-solvers. Educators and mentors, take a bow! 🌟👏

🇿🇦Positive vibes – Seriti Institute wowed the GCIS oversight visit with real community impact: food gardens, youth skills programs, restored parks, and more through the Social Employment Fund. Real change happening right here!

Plus...
- Basaar fever this weekend (27 & 28 Feb) – don't miss the boerewors, pancakes, vetkoek, and fun! 🎉
- Epic NG West golf Day fishing comp results and prizes!
- Golf champ Gerrit Coetzee taking the senior gross title!
- Hot deals on solar packages, prefab walls, pharmacy specials, and more in the Business Guide.

Grab your copy of the Standerton Chronicle today – your local voice keeping it real, celebrating wins, and keeping everyone informed during tough times - link in comments.

What's your top story from this issue?
Drop it in the comments! 👇 And share if you're proud of our Standerton spirit! ❤️

20/02/2026

🚨 ISSUE 281 IS OUT NOW 🚨
Your latest edition is live. It matters.
Inside Issue 281, you get:
• Hard news that affects your community.
• Court stories you need to know.
• Local voices that deserve to be heard.
• Sport, events, and real people making headlines.
• Accountability. Facts. No fluff.
This issue focuses on what is happening around you. Right now.
📅 Dated 20 February 2026
📰 Issue 281
🙏 Thank you to our advertisers.
Your support keeps local news alive.
🤝 Please support our advertisers.
They support this community.
Read it. Share it. Talk about it.
Stay informed. Stay alert. Stay local.
👉 Don’t miss Issue 281

14/02/2026

Standerton Shows What Works. Now the Gaps Must Be Fixed

Standerton received national recognition during the State of the Nation Address when the town was referenced as an example of what effective public employment can achieve when partnerships function as intended.

The recognition was not directed at a single organisation, but at a working model. Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus and the Social Employment Fund, visible progress has taken place across Standerton. Illegal dumping sites have been cleared. Public parks have been established. Community vegetable gardens are producing food for local households. Over the past four years, more than 2,000 work opportunities have been created.

The National Youth Service has added further impact by preparing young people for meaningful participation in the local economy. Since 2022, more than 1,200 work opportunities have been created through the NYS in Standerton. This work has been driven through the aRe Bapaleng programme, which strengthens early childhood development, promotes early learning, supports technology driven community initiatives, and equips young people with work readiness and soft skills.

Seriti Institute implements this work through a tri sector partnership model that brings together government, the private sector, and the community.

Government provides the policy and funding framework. Without programmes such as the Social Employment Fund and the National Youth Service, this level of impact would not be possible.

The private sector contributes investment, technical expertise, and access to infrastructure. In Standerton, partnership with Astral Foods Ltd has played a significant role. As the largest employer in the area through its poultry farms and processing plant, Astral Foods supports SEF and NYS initiatives by enabling access to infrastructure and logistics. This support is positioned as an investment in the social wellbeing of the community and the families who live and work in the town.

The community itself provides labour, local knowledge, and long term ownership. Residents clear land, maintain vegetable gardens, protect parks, and sustain projects after funding cycles end. Without community ownership, programmes do not survive.

Standerton has shown that public employment can do more than provide short term income. It can restore dignity. It can build local value chains. It can prepare young people for enterprise. It can seed longer term economic activity.

However, sustainable development depends on functional local systems.

Ongoing water challenges in Standerton require urgent attention. Agriculture cannot expand without reliable water infrastructure. Community food gardens cannot scale without stability. Investment cannot grow where basic services remain uncertain.

Municipal leadership is central to this challenge. Service delivery and economic development are inseparable. One cannot succeed without the other.

Standerton has demonstrated what is possible when partnerships are aligned. The next phase depends on local governance matching the ambition of national policy and community effort.

There is a call for the municipality to work more closely with Seriti Institute and other local implementing partners. Priority actions include releasing land for agricultural expansion, stabilising water and electricity supply, and improving access to basic infrastructure.

If infrastructure, governance, and economic opportunity are aligned, Standerton can become more than a reference in a national speech. It can serve as a practical blueprint for rural economic renewal.

The foundations are in place. The partnerships exist. The community is ready. What is now required is coordinated local leadership to sustain the momentum.

13/02/2026

🚨 ISSUE 280 IS OUT NOW 🚨

Your latest edition is live. It matters.
Inside Issue 280, you get:
• Hard news that affects your community.
• Court stories you need to know.
• Local voices that deserve to be heard.
• Sport, events, and real people making headlines.
• Accountability. Facts. No fluff.

This issue focuses on what is happening around you. Right now.
📅 Dated 13 February 2026
📰 Issue 280

🙏 Thank you to our advertisers.
Your support keeps local news alive.
🤝 Please support our advertisers.
They support this community.

Read it. Share it. Talk about it.
Stay informed. Stay alert. Stay local.

👉 Don’t miss Issue 280: link in the comments

10/02/2026

Critical Failures Revealed at Standerton Water Treatment Plant as Community Anger Grows

STANDERTON – An oversight visit on 10 February 2026 to the Standerton Water Treatment Works by Cllr. Alberto Franco and Cllr. Sithi Silosini has laid bare the depth of the water crisis facing Lekwa Local Municipality, while mounting frustration from civil society groups signals growing community anger.

During the oversight, Cllr. Franco confirmed that the plant’s raw water abstraction capacity is severely compromised. Of the four vertical pumps, only one is functional, and that unit is in poor condition. The remaining three are not operational.
The submersible pumps present a similar picture of decline. The red submersible is operational, the yellow submersible is not, and a third unit has already been removed. According to Franco, the removed submersible is unlikely to be repairable and will need to be traded in for a new unit.

Franco explained that the core issue is not only mechanical failure, but also insufficient abstraction, meaning too little raw water is entering the plant. This problem is compounded by algae growth, which continues to interfere with treatment processes.
“The biggest problem is that we are not getting enough abstraction. There is very little water going into the plant,” Franco said.

Residents were urged to use water sparingly and to store water where possible if supply becomes available. Franco cautioned that the situation will not be resolved within a week, noting that specialised pumping equipment cannot be sourced immediately.

The findings align with a municipal press release issued on 10 February 2026, in which Lekwa Local Municipality confirmed that water supply interruptions affecting Wards 1 to 11 and 15 are the result of limited abstraction capacity following the breakdown of a raw water pumping unit on 7 February 2026.

The municipality further cited excessive algae in the Vaal River as a contributing factor, stating that efforts are underway to repair one submersible pump and procure two new pumping units, with delivery expected during the week.

Against this backdrop, the Lekwa Community Forum (LCF) released a statement by Cllr. Sello Tsotetsi, spokesperson for the Lekwa Community Forum of condemnation on 10 February 2026, sharply criticising the political leadership of the municipality.

The LCF described the situation as a humanitarian crisis, stating that residents are being forced to live without water while political leaders fail to treat the matter with urgency.
The forum condemned what it called the collapse of political leadership under the ANC and EFF-led government, accusing municipal leaders of abandoning communities and misplacing priorities during a critical service delivery failure.

In its statement, the LCF took specific issue with the MMC for Technical Services travelling to Ghana to support a football team while residents were without water, describing the decision as reckless political negligence. The forum also criticised the Mayoral Committee for boycotting a meeting convened by their own co-governing partners, calling the municipality leaderless and directionless.

According to the LCF, politicians are failing to provide direction to the administration, while officials are being blamed for failures rooted in political decision-making. The forum stated that the Executive Mayor cannot claim ignorance, as MMCs report directly to him, and that continued silence amounts to complicity.
“Families cannot cook, clean, or live with dignity. This is a humanitarian crisis, not a technical problem,” the statement read.

The LCF has formally called for immediate intervention by the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), warning that community patience has been exhausted.

As repairs and procurement processes continue, residents remain caught between failing infrastructure and escalating political tension, with no immediate relief in sight.

(Photos: DA)

08/02/2026

Suspects Arrested Following Business Robbery and Coal Theft in Kriel

Police in Kriel have arrested several suspects following a business robbery and the theft of coal at a mining site in the Nkangala District.

According to a media statement issued by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga, the incident occurred 5 February 2026, at about 23:00. Employees at the mine were busy with their normal duties when they were confronted by seven unknown male suspects.

The suspects allegedly approached the employees from different directions and threatened them with fi****ms. The workers were tied with cable ties and forced into a guardroom, where they were instructed to lie down. While detained, the employees reportedly heard several trucks entering the premises, which were allegedly used to load coal illegally.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a total of 14 trucks entered the mine. Ten of these trucks managed to flee the scene with coal estimated to be worth about R480 000.

An employee working in another section of the mine noticed suspicious activity and alerted the mine owner. The owner contacted the security company, which responded quickly. Security officers intercepted four trucks and apprehended two truck drivers. The suspects were handed over to SAPS Kriel and detained.

The recovered trucks are still at the scene due to the lack of suitable storage facilities.

Further investigations by members of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit led to additional arrests. Information obtained from a suspect’s cellular phone resulted in the detention of two truck owners for further questioning.

The suspects have been charged accordingly and are expected to appear in court on 9 February 2026.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, commended the police and private security for their swift response and effective cooperation.

06/02/2026

🚨 OUT NOW. STANDERTON CHRONICLE. ISSUE 279, 6 February 2026.

Your community. Your news. Your truth.

This week, you will find:
• Breaking local news that matters to you
• Accountability stories you will not see elsewhere
• Community voices. Real people. Real impact
• Sport, events, and updates from across Lekwa

We ask the questions.
You get the facts.
📲 Read it now: https://online.fliphtml5.com/almlj/dlbr/

🗣️ Share it widely.
📌 Stay informed.
Stay involved.
Standerton Chronicle.
Because local news still matters.

Issue 279, 6 February 2026

04/02/2026

SHOCKING DISAPPEARANCE OF FORMER STANDERTON KOKKEDOOR CONTESTANT, LATER FOUND SAFE

Mbombela / Komatipoort – 4 February 2026 – What began as a terrifying disappearance of respected former kykNET cooking show contestant Mariana Kotze turned into a wave of relief after new developments confirmed she is safe.

In a major development, Lt Col Jabu Ndubane have since confirmed that Kotze was found safe in Kemptonpark.

Kotze, 67, originally from Standerton and well known for her Season 3 appearance on the popular show Kokkedoor in 2019, was reported missing early this week after an alleged hijacking.

According to reports from family and social media posts, Kotze left her home in Marloth Park at about 08:15 on Monday morning to go shopping in Komatipoort, driving a silver Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, registration KCZ 830 MP.

Traffic camera footage later showed her car heading away from Komatipoort towards Mbombela, including sightings near Malelane and at the Nkomazi toll gate, suggesting her route deviated from the original shopping trip.

Her husband, Boland Kotze, received contact from suspected hijackers that morning, during which he could reportedly hear Mariana’s voice in the background.

On Wednesday morning, a member of the public spotted her vehicle abandoned at Sonpark Centre in Mbombela, near Nelspruit Primary School, and notified security personnel.

New visual evidence later circulating on social media showed Kotze getting out of the vehicle with luggage and boarding a bus from the same centre.

The case drew widespread concern across social media and news platforms, with many South Africans offering prayers and support for Mariana and her family throughout the ordeal.

Family members and community leaders expressed deep relief at her recovery and thanked the public for their support and prayers during the search.